SEPTEMBER 19, 1934 – JULY 21, 2022
James Edward Luallen died on July 21, 2022, as a result of Alzheimer’s. He was 87 years old. Jim was born on September 19, 1934, in Bloomington, Illinois to Orville Edwin Luallen and Mary Ellen Luallen, neé McCormick. He was predeceased by brothers Gary Luallen and Thomas Luallen.
Jim graduated from Maroa High School in 1953 and went on to Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, where he graduated with a B.S. in Education in 1957. He later earned a M.S. in Education from Milliken University in 1966. In 1955 he married his high school sweetheart, Jenny Hale, and they remained married until Jenny’s death in 2019. Jim and Jenny had four children and in 1968 moved their family from Illinois to Fort Collins, Colorado. Jim spent more than 20 years as Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Fort Collins High School. Upon his retirement from Poudre School District in 1989, Jim and Jenny moved to Port Richey, Florida for a few years before deciding they missed the Mountain West. They moved again to Rawlins, Wyoming, where Jim finished his professional career as Principal of Rawlins High School. Jim spent the last 20 years of his life back in Colorado, residing in Castle Rock, Loveland, and finally returning to Fort Collins.
Jim loved fly fishing, camping with family, travel, and was a keen golfer. He was an avid reader and a student of history all his life. Primarily, however, Jim loved his family. He and Jenny were ultimately blessed with five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He loved family holiday gatherings and enjoyed any and all opportunities to spend time with his grandchildren, whether it was helping with school projects, attending concerts and events, or arranging special trips and travel with them. Jim enjoyed a rich personal spiritual life, and he and Jenny were gratified to be the founders of an active Stephen Ministry outreach program at the Castle Rock United Methodist Church.
James is survived by two sisters, Patricia Mullins and Norene Homan (Roger); his children Betsy Graves (Tom), Jim Luallen (Karen), Becky Walker, (Mike), and Susan Hanna (Rob); his grandchildren Whitney Gabbert (Jason), Nathan Luallen (Kelsey), Wilson Luallen, Fergus Walker, and Ryan Walker; and his five great-grandchildren, Bryce and Connor Gabbert, and Ethan, Evan, and Emmet Luallen.
The family is hosting a memorial service Saturday, August 27 at 10 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Loveland, CO. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to Dementia Together at dementiatogether.org or Pathways Hospice at pathways-care.org.
Arrangements entrusted to Resthaven Memory Gardens Funeral & Cremation
